


Christmas Abroad

by Tippytap



Category: The Losers (2010), The Losers (Comic)
Genre: Christmas, Fluff, Gen, Gift Giving
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-20
Updated: 2019-11-20
Packaged: 2021-02-16 00:29:30
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,539
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21498877
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Tippytap/pseuds/Tippytap
Summary: Jensen is new to the Losers, and he really wants to stay.
Comments: 6
Kudos: 25





	Christmas Abroad

**Author's Note:**

> My first fic. Let's see how it goes.

For Clay, it was the writings of Che Guevara.

"Why?"

He wanted to know, but Jensen didn't miss the gleam in his CO's eyes.

"Well, because he was a great leader, and rallier of men, staying cool in tough situations, ya know?"

Clay looked impassive and Cougar cocked an eyebrow at him.

"And" he blurted. "Because you have his signature tattooed on your ass. Which I think is kinda cool because, hey! Why go for his face? Everybody has that, way to be unique man!"

Clay stares at him in disbelief.

"Look, if you didn't want me to see your secret, drunk, bad idea tattoos then you shouldn't have gotten shot. So really, it's all your fault."

The table dissolves into laughter and Jensen glances nervously around him before adding his own small chuckle.

He'd only been with the team for four months, and he was still uncertain of his standing. He was counting on this Christmas to get him in on everyone's good side. He likes them, he wants to stay. And with his track record... well, he really needs to nail this.

"Seriously man?"

Rogue's voice.

"As in 'Property of Che'? So this is what happens when I'm not around to keep tabs on you. You dumbass."

He's the only one who could get away with that and he knows it, giving him a good natured punch to the shoulder.

"Alright Pooch."

Aerk of his head in Pooch's direction.

"Open up, what'd you get?"

Pooch opens the bundle of blankets that Jensen had deposited in his lap the moment he'd sat down "And it's...Jensen's laptop. Gee, thanks"

"Ah ah" Jensen said, waving his finger triumphantly in the air "Not _just_ my laptop. My laptop with a secure, non detectable, non traceable, Skype link back to Jolene and your girls. With a USB set to start recording the moment she answers, it'll hold three hours of footage."

Pooch is staring at him, and his eyes are shining. "Thanks." He says, but this time it's softer, he means it. "I owe you. Big."

Jensen waves him off.

"Nah, it's a gift man, don't sweat it. Go on, it's all ready for you."

"Thank you" Pooch says again. "Merry Christmas everybody, I'll tell 'em you all say hello."

And he leaves their circle to find some privacy.

"That was good, man."

Rogue nods his approval and the others seems pleased with him too.

Jensen can feel the warmth of success spreading through his chest, so far everything is going so so great and Jensen couldn't be happier.

"Your turn" He says, nudging Rogue's gift on the table with his finger.

Rogue opens it, an old piece of oil cloth, and immediately begins to swear.

"You dirty little fucker. You damned son of a BITCH! ...How the hell?"

Jensen is grinning maniacally and bouncing in his seat.

"I got you man! Oh! Your face was too good. Cougs take a picture, this is just too beautiful. I rule!"

Inside the cloth is a huge, deadly, beautiful, knife. An eight inch long blade, honed to razor sharpness, with brass knuckles and spikes built into the handle.

It is brutal art.

Rogue had seen it in a market three months ago and had wanted it, badly.

He'd almost stolen it from the street vendor before Clay had pulled him off of it, promising that later they would come back and get it. But when they had returned the knife had been sold and the vendor refused to say who he'd sold it to.

Rouge had been in a black, scary, mood for a week afterwards.

It had been gone because Jensen had seen the looks Roque had been giving it, and scooped it up as soon as Roque was out of sight, paying the man double to keep it a secret. How he himself has managed to keep it secret after all this time he doesn't know.

Among this commotion Cougar holds up his little gift.

A (previously) empty munitions box, and gives it a careful shake.

"Yeah. Go ahead Cougs. Open 'er up"

Jensen leans forward slightly, out of all the gifts, this was the one he hopes lands the most.

Cougar opens it and pulls out a black mp3 player with earbuds. A small quirk of the mouth betrays his surprise.

"Turn it on."

He does so and scrolls through the songs that have been downloaded, all of his favorites are on there (Jensen may have done some discreet hacking to figure that out) plus some he hasn't heard of.

"Music?"

Roque and Clay look confused, their confusion grows when Cougar tips his hat back so Jensen can see his face and smiles, an honest to goodness, teeth showing smile.

_"Gracias, es perfecto."_

He stands to leave, one earbud in, already listening. As he passes Jensen he claps him on the shoulder and squeezes.

"Oh yeah, I am the Christmas King baby!"

Jensen turns to the the others and his grin falters in light of their befuddlment.

"What? He loves music. Haven't you noticed?"

The looks on his commanding officers faces show that no, they had not.

"Yeah I mean, whenever we're in a bar…? Or someone has music playing? He always. Sways...ya know?"

He rocks his hand for emphasis.

Silence.

"Is that coffee? I smell coffee. See ya, Merry Christmas!"

And he darts from the room. Neither Clay nor Roque smell coffee but they choose not to comment on the obvious ruse.

"We may have underestimated him" Clay begins.

"Yup" Roque strokes his thumb contemplatively over the flat of his knife "Little bastard's been watchin' everybody."

The rest of the day passes without action, and evening finds Jensen climbing onto their compounds garage roof with a pack of cigarettes and bottle of the local wine. He doesn't normally smoke, but the area's tobacco is pungent and nice, and he likes it.

Coupled with the wine he bought that afternoon, sticky and almost sweet as syrup, he's planning on a very pleasant evening.

Contrary to popular belief he is just as capable of appreciating silence as the next guy, he just doesn't like to do it as often. Now he lays out a blanket, in preparation for the night's chill, leans back, lights a cigarette, and watches the sun set.

It's eight o'clock before Cougar notices Jensen's absence.

Normally around this time Jensen has taken to seeking him out, either for talk, cards, or to watch some obscure TV show that Cougar would never admit to liking as much as he does.

Occasionally, when Cougar is reading or otherwise engaged, Jensen will simply sit beside him, in relative silence and work on his laptop or various other devices, every now and then floating some trivia or scientific fact up to Cougar. At first it was unsettling, but he has come to appreciate those times and the fact that Jensen has broke their habit is disconcerting.

So he prowls the house, searching.

Clay and Roque are in the kitchen, Pooch is in the living room rewatching the video of his girls, pausing to take screenshots.

Hands on hips, demanding.

"Where is Jensen?"

They glance up, surprised, for him this is quite the outburst.

He raises an eyebrow, _hurry up._

Clay answers, "He went out."

"When?"

"I don't know, couple of hours?"

Cougar huffs, sounding very much like a pissy cat, turns on his heel, and stalks out of the door.

It's beautiful outside, the air is warm with a cooler undertone, scented with some flower or spice that he cannot name and it blows gently over his skin.

Dust skiffs lightly over his face and for a moment, he is brought back to his childhood. The moon is waxing, but bright and and the stars shine cleanly out of a velvet ink sky and it doesn't take him long to pick out Jensen, he's humming some sort of off-key tune.

_'Smooth'_ , he thinks.

Cougar climbs, graceful and quiet, onto the roof beside him. Jensen is still humming and Cougar can just make out his flushed cheeks, a glance at the mostly finished bottle beside him explains that away. He lays down, the blanket just keeping the chill of the tin at bay, puts one of his earbuds into Jensen's ear, turns on one of his favourite songs and reaches over to steal Jensen's cigarette.

"Ya know Cougs?" Jensen says, propping up on his elbows as he passes him the wine bottle and takes back the cigarette in return.

Cougar shifts to look at him, taking a sip as he does so, the wine is far too sweet for his liking, how can Jensen drink that, let alone so much? But it does fit the mood, he'll admit to that.

"Right now?" And it might change."

He waves a hand dismissively in the air.

"Five minutes from now something might go down, the shit'll hit the fan and it'll be all hell on earth. But here? Right here, right now. In this moment?" And he taps the roof between them for emphasis.

Cougar nods, and waits. Jensen takes a long drag off their cigarette, tips his head back and slowly exhales into the sky. "Right now, things are pretty damned perfect."

**Author's Note:**

> Notes: In the comics Pooch has two daughters, so that's what I went with.  
> The song Jensen is humming is Smooth, by Santana. And the song Cougar puts on is Sabor a mi, by Lila Downs.  
> Also, I know nothing about technology so I don't have a clue if you can make a USB do that or not.


End file.
